Post-Sandy Zoning Relief 1st Step In Climate-Proofing NYC

By Kaitlin Ugolik

Law360, New York (February 1, 2013, 8:37 PM ET) -- New York City this week gave owners of property damaged in Superstorm Sandy a break from zoning rules that conflict with new flood-proofing guidelines, a move experts say will speed the rebuilding process and set the stage for new building regulations that take future storms into account.

On Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency released new provisional flood maps, surprising many New Yorkers by including 35,000 more properties than had been listed in the previously mapped danger zone.